Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-09

| tuGC VI tnNA bNAhf1
the general masonry Of the encieRts
The upper part of them was razed {.
the upper level of the walls by Henry
Ill, who intended to demolish the en-
tire structure, but was stopped by deatl
or some other happy accident. so th'
great stone edifce. which has about tht
area of o frst-class American fortress
remains simply wonderfully nassiv,
end impressive pile of masonry, bull
with marvellous solidity, showing here
and there spots OF red brick that may
have come from some old Roman ruin,
vast, antique, oppressive, and nothing
more.
There is little worth seeing beside
these exterior walls and the draw
bridge, with the machinery by which il
was raised and lowered. Within is 9
broad lawn, az intensely green and as
tranquil as the most, and a powder
magazine. But you have not crossed
the bridge and made three steps upon
the lawn when you are stopped by 6
concierge who had been lying in wait in
some little room recessed in the gate
way with that phrase, which is fine war.
cry of all concierges from Calais tc
Marseilles: "OU, 0iicz ron, Non.
sicurl Where are you going, sir p
There is so little to see that you are dis.
inclined to trouble the concierge, and
you retire wondering why, since 80 long
before eunpowder was known in Europe
they built walls that would Withstand
a brisk cannenade, they construct 10
these days Of dynamite and melinite
such eggshell forts as those which en-
circle the American coasts.
THE ARCHITECTURE
Of this entire region is worth seeing.
There are little cities of 1900 inhabi-
tants with cathedrals or churches OF
which New York might be proud.
1 he styles of church construction, aud
nearly all the churches have q respec-
table antiquity, has such degree of
individuality that some writers
have called it the "Angevine.
Some forms of architecture that pre-
vailed in the twelfth century are
called by French writer's the romano. It
was the transition period from the old
Roman to the Gothic. 1t is not neces-
sary to be technical, for there is in
these beautiful architectural forms the
flower and fruit OF an epoch when En-
rope was immersed in darkness
epoch that preceded the crusades-
something which the most unlettered
can admire. Henry ii. held his court
at Anglers and added several to these
beautiful edifces.
In the tower OF st. Antsin are the
round arch and the tall, narrow win
dows, deeply recessed and fanked on
either side by three long, slender,
round columns, each having Roman
capital of different design. OF the
hundreds Of columns in the church and
cloister at Fontevrault no two have
capital precisely alike. So in the
churches not alone of Anglers, but
Of the entire region, there is
everywhere this beauty OF form and
this richness of conception-beauti-
iully.carved arches, graceful columns,
massive stonework softening into leaves
and flowers aud fruit. American church
architects should come to Anjou to
study their art, that they may endoW
the future with something which the
future will think worth preserving.
The age which created these churches,
some OF which were built entirely six
or seven hundred years ago and some
fragments of which are more than |, 900
years old, hadno literature nor anything
ellsworth transmitting, 80 it transmitted
these poems in stone. 1t is not stone
alone that has endured in this mild
though moist climate, there being seye-
raj houses Of wood that were built IN
the fifteenth and sixteenth century
that is TO say, three or four hundred
years ago.
The good King Rene, father of Mar
garet Of England, is honored with a
statue. 1t stands in a place near the
old castle, which serves as an
background. 1t is tue
work OF the sculptor David of An
gers. The King il represented in a
sort Of undress uniform, having on
only part of his armor His hair that
flows in an effeminate way to his neck
is crowned with wreath, and his right
hand rests on his helmet, with which is
placed a Tyre and other symbols in
tended to show the manner in which he
his leisure hours. About the
base are statuettes in bronze OF historic
famous in the history OF
Anjou, and one that is notable Of the
King himself, with Margaret as q child
between his knees holding his sword,
which, had she been in his place, she
would have welded in q manner more
worthy OF the traditions Of her warlike
house.
Anglers is what Parisians speak OF as
4 provincial city. 1t has only about
seventy thousand inhabitants, yet it
las it, own park and public gardens,
is boulevards and its museum, whose
would honor the best collec-
ion OF pictures in America. 1t is the
nome OF one of the most celebrated
,lericals of France, Mgr. Freppel,
Who represents his district in the
Chamber Of Deputies and is respected
" all parties. No bishop in France IS
o royalty honored. Altogether, the
left on the mind OF the
ranger by Anglers is that it is charm
ne city, admirably representing what
S best mentally and materially in one OF
he most attractive regions of France.